Electrical burglar-alarm



(No'Model.)

H. C. ROOME.

ELECTRICAL BURGLAL ALARM. No. 247,415. Patented Sept. 20,1881;

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

.HENRY O. ROOME, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRICAL BURGLAR-ALARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 247,415, dated September 20, 1881.

Application filed March 10, 1881.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY C. RooME, otJersey Oity, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Burglar-Alarms, of which the following is a specification.

These improvements relate particularly to those electric burglar-alarms wherein closed electric circuits extend through structures to be guarded and connect them with a station or oce where watchmen are kept, resistancecoils being employed in the structures to he guarded, so that on the opening of a door, window, or other article there they will be short-circuited out of the circuits and alarms sounded at the station or office. The improvements are, however, applicable to closed-circuit electric burglar-alarms generally.

In stores and other places forming structures to be guarded by such electric burglar-alarms, partitions, walls, skylights, and like articles are commonly protected by tine wires traversing the same and arranged in the circuits, so that burglars cannoteiect an entrance through them without severing the wire and causing an alarm to be sounded at the station or oftice. Frequently these tine wires are accidentally broken during the day when the stores or other places are open and the alarm is inoperative, and in this way they occasion much annoyance, as their breakage is not discoveredv until the store is closed and it is too late to repair them without great inconvenience to the tenants.

One object of my present improvements is to provide a means for indicating when such breakage occurs, so that it can be repaired before the ordinary time of closing the stores or other places. This is accomplished by placing all the partitions, walls, skylights, and other like' articles which are protected by tine wires in the manner described in one portion ofthe electric circuit at the structures to be guarded, and all openings needing to be guarded-such as doors and windows-which are used while the structures are in use, in anotller portion, and by combining with these portions ot' the electric circuit a suitable switch or switches, whereby the tenants of the said structures may cut out ot' the electric circuit the doors, windows, and other like openings, and allow the partitions, walls, skylights, and other like ar- (No model.)

ticles to remain in the electric circuit and in communication with the stationor ottice.

Io prevent burglars from concealing themselves in the structures to be guarded, and by means ot' the switch or switches cutting out the portion of the electric circuit which includes the doors and windows without giving an alarm at the station or olice, this invention also comprises a resistance-coil and another switch or switches, by means of which, when the branch of the circuit which includes the doors and windows is cut out, the resistance-coil will be short-circuited out and an 'ala-rm sounded at the station or ofce.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a diagrammatic view ot an electric circuit at a structure to be guarded, comprising two branches, an instrument having a short-circuiting device, and switches for cutting out one branch of the circuit, and also a view ot' the circuit at the station or office; and Fig. 2 is a side view of the -instrument having a shortcircniting device.

Similar letters of reference designate correspondin g parts in both gures.

A designates windows in the structure to be guarded; and B designates a partition in the same, shown on a smaller scale, and protected by iine wires B traversing it. Before describing these windows and this partition in detail I will premise that doors and other similar openings may be protected in a manner analogous to that in which the windows are protected, and that skylights and other like articles may be protected in a manner analogous to that in which the partition is protected. The opening of the windows makes a short circuit, and the severing of the fine wire at the partition breaks the circuit. y

w andy designate wires forming that portion of the electric circuit when the electric burglar'- alarm is set for the night, and at other times when the structure to be guarded is to remain closed, which extends to and from the windows and partition, including the latter in the circuit, and terminating at the resistance-coil I.

lhe switches employed are designated No. l, No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4:, and consist ot' metal bars pivoted at one end to a common baseboard, and adapted to be vibrated one way or the other to make electrica-l contact with metal IOO contact-points, two of which are provided for each switch, and which are respectively designated op, q r, s't, u c. These switches are connected by a bar of insulating material, so that they may be moved in unison. The contactpoints p, q, t, and fu are respectivelyT connected by wires p', q', t", and c with binding-postspz, g2, t2, and c2 on the said base-board, and the switches No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4 are respectively connected by wires o', i", s', and a with binding-posts o2, r2, s2, and a2.

Attached to the ends of the wires fw and y at the resistance-coil I are wires and z, which lead to and are connected with the bindingposts Q24@ of switch No. 2, and when this switch is turned or vibrated to the left it will shortcircuit the resistance-coil I. At a point, Z, beyond the last window in the circuit the wire w has formed in it a loop, w 102, the ends of which extend to and are fastened in the binding-posts s2 t2 of switch No. 3. A ground-wire, L, leads from the wire y at the first windowr in the circuit, and a connection is made with it from the binding-post @Pof switch No. 4. A wire, n, connects the binding-post a2 of this switch No. 4 with the binding-post d of an instrument having a short-circuiting device, and presently to be fully described.

The electric current enters the building from the station or office on the line-wire A', which is connected to the binding-post a of the aforesaid instrument. lLeaving this instrument, the electric current passes along the wire m, connected with the binding-post c of the instrument to the binding-post 02 ofthe switch No.1.

To set the'burglar-alarm for the night the switches are moved to the right, and the electric current, entering on the line-wire Al and passing to and from the said instrument, arrives at the switch No. 1. Thence it passes to the contact-point p of this switch, along the wire p to the binding-post p2, and from the latter to the wire w. It then passes along the wire fw to and through the wire 102 to bindingpost t2 of the switch No. 3, and thence out at binding-post s2 and the wire w to the wire w, and through the partition B, to and through the resistance-coil I, returning on the wire y to the ground-wire L.

After the structure to bc guarded is opened in the morning the switches are turned to the left,whereupon the electric current, after reaching switch No. 1, as before explained, passes to thecontact-point o ot'said switch, and thence bya wire, Z, to the contact-point s of the switch No. 3. It then passes from this switch by the loop-wire w to the wire fw, thence through the wire of the partition B to the resistance-coil I. Thence it passes by the wire ato the bindingpost r2 and wire r to the switch No. 2. From this switch it passes to thc contact-point q, thence by the wire q to the binding post q2. Leaving the binding post q2, it traverses the wire m to the wire y at the resistance coil I, and then it passes to the ground-wire L. The circuit is thus completed, so as to short-circuit or cut out the resistance-coil I. It will be seen that the circuit is thus completed through the fine wire of the partition B during the time the structure to be guarded is open, as well as when it is closed for the night, and that'during the time the structure is open it is not affected by the opening kof the windows. Any break of the line wire of the partition occurring during the day is therefore instantly indicated at the station or ofce, and can at once be repaired without closing the structure to be guarded, and before the tenants desire to close and leavel the same.

The wires fw and y are, in this example of myinvention, designed to be so combined with the windowsA that on the openingot` the latter switches or springs will operate to connect them, and shortcircuit or cut ont the resistance-coilI,the electriccurrentiiowing then only to the rst window which is open, and thence to the ground-wire L.

The loop w w2 is inserted in the electric circuit at the point Z, beyond the last window, in order that the opening ofthe windows or doors in the structure shall not affect the branch of the electric circuit which includes the partition B.

Where the electric circuit is so organized that it is broken by the opening of a window, it is important that the circuit should be broken in but one of the wires w and y, and always in the wire Aw, so that when the windows are opened during the day the wire y will always be intact to conduct the electric current from the tine wire of the partition B to the groundwire L.

As I have before shown, the wire a connects the binding-post d of the instrument having a shortcircniting device to the binding-post u2 of switch No. 4, and from this binding-post the electric current passes by thewire u to the switch, and, when the switch is turned to the right, along it to the contact-pointu. From the contact-point e the electric current passes along the wire c to the binding post v2, and thence to the ground-wire L. rTherefore when this switch is turned to the right it establishes communication between the instrument having a short-circuiting device and the ground, and when it is turned to the left it severs the communication between the said instrument and the ground.

Iwill now more particularly describe the instrument having a short-circuiting device.

From the binding-post a the wire extends to a circuit-breaker consisting of a metallic flap spring or elastic strip, C, secured at or near one end to the base-piece of the instrument, and provided withv a thumb-piece or button, b, whereby it may be manipulated. circuit-breaker is combined with a keeper, I), consisting of an arm of metal or other cond ucting material projecting over the circuit-breaker, so that the latter will, when in its'normal position, maintain a contact with it. This keeper may be pivoted to the base-piece B, so that it This IIO

vot the instrument.

can be swung aside out of contact with the circuit-breaker when desirable` to retain the circuit brokenfor any length ot' time without holding` the circuit-breaker depressed with the hand. From the keeper D a wire, E, extends to an electro-magnet, F, whence a wire, G, extends to a binding-post, c, on the baseboard From this binding-post c the wire 'm extends to the binding-post o2 of the switch No. l, and when the switch is turned tothe right it is in communication with the resistance-coil I, as I have above explained.

It will also be remembered that the wire n leads from the binding-post d, through theswitch No. 4, to the ground-wire L.

M designates a vibratory armature arranged in proximity to one end of the electro-magnet F, and pivoted to a supporting-bracket, M', so that it can be attracted by the magnets into contact with them, or, when released, may swing away from them under the induence of a spring or otherwise.

Extending from the armature M, in this instance above the same, is an arm, N, of conducting material-such as metal-which, when the armature is attracted to the electro-magnet F, moves outward, and thereby comes iu contact with an arm, O, of conducting material, extending from a post, P, of conducting material, erected on the base-pieceof' the instrument.

A wire, Q, extends from the armature M to the wire G, and is fastened, as here shown, in the binding-post c; and another wire, R, extends rom the post- P to the binding-post d, connecting there, it the switch No. 4 is turned to theright, with the ground-wire L.

When the switches are set for the night, and the windows and doors of the structure to be guarded are closed properly, the electric current will enter on the line-wire A', pass through the circuit-breaker C, keeper D, and wire E to thev electro-magnet F. Thence it passes along wire G to wire m, thence through the switch No. 1, the wire w, resistance-coil I, to the wire y, and from the latter thence to the ground-wire L. Then any momentary change in theresistance ot' the circuit outside the structure will cause only a momentary alarm to be given at the office with which the line-wire A' communicates. It', however, one of the doors or windows be opened, the electric circuit will be short-circuited from the wire w to the wire y, and the resistance-coil I will be short-circuited and an alarm will be given at the stationor office. Whenever the electric circuit is short-circuited at a window or door, and the armature M attracted to the electro-magnet, the electric current will be short-circuited again by the instrument having a short-circuitin g device, this time through the wire G to the wire Q, from the latter to the arm N, thence to the arm O, thence through the post P and wire R to the wire k, switch No. 4, and ground-wire L. In consequence of the latter short-circuit circuit is broken by a watchman at the station or ofiice opening the line or otherwise. so as to effect the release of the armature M, whereupon the normal electric circuit may be reinstated through the resistance-coil I. The instrument having a short-cireuiting device 1u the structure to be guarded will then be in condition to be again attracted when a door or window is opened.

The short alarm given through a momentary change in the resistance ot' the electric circuit from any accidental or other cause outside the structure to be guarded, and the lon g-continued alarm given through achange in the resistance occasioned at or in the said structure from shortcircuitin g outthe resistance-coil, may be easily distinguished from eachother. Hence the difficulty heretofore experienced from the failure to distinguish at the station or ofee between alarms from such causes andsources is obviated.

K designates the battery with which the linewire A' is connected.

When the electric circuit has been short-eircuited before locking up the structure to be guarded for the night, the circuit-breaker C may be employed to release the armature M to reinstate the normal electric circuit through the structure and resistance-coil I,an d where the building is to be left after beinglocked the circuit-breaker may be utilized to signal to the watchman at the station or otlice to reinstate the circuit through the structure by opening the line-wire after the opening and closing ot' the door ot' said structure to permitthe exit of the tenants.

IOO

What I claim as myinvention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In an electric burglar-alarm, the combi nation ot' an electric circuit at a structure to be guarded, including windows, doors, and like openings, and the ne wiring protecting partitions, walls, skylights, and other like articles, a switch located at the said structure to be guarded for cutting out a portion of said electric circuit, including the windows, doors,

and like openings, a resistancecoil located in the said electric circuit at the said structure, and a switch also located at said structure for short-circuiting the resistancecoil when the said portion of the electric circuit which includes the windows, doors,and other like articles is cut out, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In an electric burglar-alarm, the combination of the line-wire, the switches No. 1 and No. 2, the contact-points op q r, the wires w and y, the wires w and 102, the wire l, a con nection between the wires l and w', the resistance-coil I, and the wires x and z, substantiallyl 2, and No. 3,the contact-points o p q 1^ s t, thel wires w and y, the wires w and 102, the wire Z, a connection between Zand w', the resistancecoil I, and the wires .r and z, substantially as and for the purpose specilied.

4. In an electricburglar-alarm, the combination ot' an electric circuit at a structure to be guarded, including windows, doors, and like openings, and the fine wiring protecting partitions, walls, skylights, and other like articles, a switch located at the said structure to be guarded for cutting ont a portion of the said electric circuit, including the windows, doors, and other like openings, a resistance-coil located in the said electric circuit at'the said structure, and a switch also located at the said structure and connected with the Vaforesaid switch for short-circuiting the resistance-coil when the said portion of the electric circuit which includes the windows, doors, and. other like articles is cut out, substantially as specitied.

5. In an electric burglar-alarm, the combination of a line-wire, an instrument having a short-circuiting device, the wires m and n, the switches No.1, No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4, the wires 'zu and y, the wires w and wz, the resistance-coil 1, the wires x and z, and the wire I, sub- Y stantially as specified.

HENRY C. ROOME. Witnesses:

EDWIN H. BROWN, T. J. KEANE. 

